Lifting tool for elevator chains



y 1945- H. s. SCHNEIDER 2,377,270

LIFTING TOOL FOR ELEVATOR CHAINS Filed Oct. 15, 194:

HARVEY 5 SCHNEIDER,

Patented May 29, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFF-ICE LIFTING TOOL FOR ELEVATOR CHAINS Harvey S. Schneider, Columbus, Ohio, assignor to The Jeffrey Manufacturing Company, a corpo ration of Ohio Application October15, 1943, Serial No.-50.6,459

Claims.

to a head sprocket or wheel.

Other objects of the invention will appear hereinafter, the novel features and combinations being set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing,

Fig. 1 is an elevational view with parts insection showing the tool of my invention, in position adjacent the head of an elevator or -c6n-- vey-or;

Fig. 2 is a'transverse elevational View showing a portion of the tool of Fig. l; and

Fig. 3 is a sectional of the tool. r 7

It may be stated that the tool of my inventionis designed particularly to be used "in connection view showing in detail part with the chain and conveyor mechanism disthere being two such chains laterally spacedapart which carry a plurality of buckets, not shown. Conveyor chains II run on a pair of laterally spaced-apart sprockets, one of which. is seen at I'Z, which are mountedupon a head shaft I3 carried in appropriate bearings, not illustrated, supported by structural frame members of the conveyor. Thestructural frame members of the conveyor include a lateral channel I4 on each side thereof, which channels are'xconnected'across the front end of the conveyor by a front channel I5. Thechannels I4 and 'IS -are'suppOrted upon upwardly extending I beam's or the like, forming detail in the above-mentioned Mercier application.

Each of theside walls of the conveyor isprovided with chainguides I6 which guide the working and return runs-ofthechain II as they travel through the elevator casing orhousing.

In an elevator or conveyor of the type disclosed in the above-mentioned Mercier application, the weight of the chain conveyor mechanism is very -'great, and the principal function of the tool of my invention is to take the weight of the conveyor chains I I off their head sprockets I2 and the shaft I3, whereby each conveyor chain H may be broken as by removing a connecting link pin. This maybe done either to replace a worn, damaged or broken chain link or to remove a sprocket I2 or a shaft I3 for inspection,

repair or replacement, or repair or replacement of one of the bearings which supports said clearly illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawing, is formed by a pair of-channel members which are spaced-apart and which are connected at their tops and bottoms by plates which are welded thereto. The top of each cross-beam I! also includes a pair of spaced bearing plates I8, I8, which are welded as aunit with the cross-beam I1 and which provide spherical bearing surfaces for a pair of similar spaced bearing washers or plates I9. 7

Extending downwardly through the center of each offlthe cross-beams I! and between the two channel members thereof is supporting means in the form'of a. pair of laterally'spaced lift links or rods 20 which at their bottoms are preferably formed as eye-bolts. The upper end of each of the rods 20 is threaded and receives an elongated nut 2|, the bottom of which preferably bears :against one or more washers seated on top of the the topangle of the elevator or conveyor housing the frameof the conveyor I II,as illustrated in full or casing, The weight supported by the crossthe working and return runs of one of the chains II. Each of the hanger beams 25 is in theform of an I-beam which at each end is provided with a stub shaft 26 which is split from its base upwardly an appreciable distance so that it can straddle the center web of said I-beam forming the beam 25. The stub shafts 25 are then preferably welded to form an integral part of said,

beam 25.

The outer end of each stub shaft 26 extends beyond the I-beam and is preferably provided with a circumferential groove 21 which is adapted to receive and hold a link 28 which is swiveled to the bottom of the lift rod .20.

Adjacent its top each of the hanger beams 25 is provided with spaced bosses 29, there being one boss 29 on each side ofthe knuckle of each link of chain II which is being supported by the tool. This, of course, insures the chain 1 I being properly positioned and retained on the hanger beam 25.

As clearly illustrated in Fig, 2 of the drawing, between two of the hang rods which are carried by a common cross-beam l1, there is preferably a tie rod 30, the purpose of which is to keep them properly spaced apart and also to keep them from rotating when the wrench 22 is operated.

In the use of the tool insofar as it has been described, it is evident that while the conveyor;

chain II is on its sprocket [2, the first thing that is done is to insert the hanger beam between the side bars of two aligned links of chain H, one on the working run, the other on the return run. To aid in this, I provide a guide plate 3| which is attached to the tops of guides 16, and the hanger beam 25 is merely extended through one of the chain links and slid over the guide plate 3| until it is worked through a second chain link. Space for this is provided by removing the rear wall or plate 32 of the conveyor casing which will allow the hanger beam 25 to be worked between the chain links from the right to the left, as viewed in Fig. l of the drawing. It is, of course, obvious that if desired, only one chain H of the conveyor may be elevated and released at any time, though if desired they may both be so elevated and released.

After the hanger beam is extended between the chain links, as above described, it will be approximately in the dotted line position illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawing. The lift links or tension rods 20 will then be lowered sufiiciently to permit the links or loops 28 to slip over the outer ends of the pins or stub shafts 26, and be received in the grooves 21. The nuts 2| are then taken up on the rods 20 by operating the ratchet wrenches 22 until the upper edge of the hanger beam 25 is against the chain knuckles on both the working and return runs and the knuckles are between a pair of bosses 29. Thereafter, simultaneous or successive elevation of the rods 20, preferably in small steps if the operation is successive, will lift the chain ll to transfer the removed or repaired, both chains H of the conveyor must be removed from their associated sprockets l2 and disconnected.

In addition to the structure above described, there is illustrated in the drawing additional mechanism which is an important contribution of mine to the tool, the part heretofore described being largely and generally the invention of Harold C. Medley, which is claimed in his application, Serial No. 506,457, filed October 15, 1943. This structure is in the form of a hook bolt 33, there being one such hook bolt 33 and associated mechanism for each of the rods 20. The function of the hook bolt 33 is to support that portion of the chain which is above the hanger beam 25. Since this chain has appreciable weight, this has been found to be quite a desirable addition or supplement to the tool without said hook bolt.

The hook bolt 33 has a. threaded upper end provided with an adjusting nut 34 and it extends through a bevel washer 35 which is carried by the bearing plate I8. The bearing washer 35 and associated portion of the plate l3 are provided with large openings through which the bolt 33 extends to provide for its ready manipulation so that the lower hook end thereof may be hooked below a knuckle of one of the links of chain ll.

Below the nut 34 and on top of the bevel washer 35 is a thrust washer 36 which co-operates with the bevel washer 35 to provide adequate bearing surface to carry the load carried by said hook 33 and associated parts.

The operation of the hook 33 and associated parts is believed clear from the above description and it may beadjusted either simultaneously with or after the adjacent rod 20 has been ad- 'justed to lift chain H to the position illustrated in full lines in Fig. 1 of the drawing, which is its position just prior to the removal of the top connecting pin thereof.

Obviously those skilled in the art may make various changes in the details and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the claims hereto appended, and I therefore wish not to be restricted to the precise construction herein disclosed.

Having thus described and shown an embodiment of my invention, what I desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. Alifting tool for the load and slack runs of an endless elevator chain including spaced cross-beams each adapted to rest on and be supported by an elevator frame, a hanger beam p0- sitioned below said cross-beams and adapted to extend through links of both runs of said chain, vertically adjustable means connecting said hanger beam and said cross-beams, and supplemental supporting .hook means carried by said cross-beams for supporting chain links above said hanger beam.-

v2. A lifting tool for the load and slack runs of an endless elevator chain including spaced crossbeams each adapted to rest on and be supported by an elevator frame, a hanger beam positioned below said cross-beams and adapted to extend through links of both runs of said chain, vertically adjustable means connecting said hanger beam and said cross-beams, and supplemental supporting means carried by said cross-beams for supporting chain links above said hanger beam.

3. A lifting tool for an'elevator chain includ-' ported by an elevator frame, a hanger beam positioned below said cross-beam and adapted to connect to said chain, vertically adjustable means connecting said hanger beam and said crossbeam, and means also connected to said crossbeam for supporting a chain link above said beam. v

5. A lifting tool for an elevator chain including a cross-beam adapted to rest on and be supported by an elevator frame, a hanger member positioned below said cross-beam and adapted to connect to said chain, vertically adjustable means connecting said hanger member and said cross-beam, and means also connected to said cross-beam for supporting a chain link above said hanger member.

HARVEY S. SCHNEIDER. 

